When you’re in charge of furnishing large cafeterias you’ll have to make some tough decisions when it comes to seating. Food courts in malls, hospitals and large corporate headquarters need durable and comfortable commercial chairs that will give employees and visitors the furnishings necessary to enjoy their lunch break. When you’re deciding on chairs for a cafeteria setting keep a few things in mind that will make the selection process run smoother and save you money.

Even a detail as subtle as the seating in a food court can have an impact on how the building is viewed. Furnishings that are mix and match or simply out of place make a business or organization seems sloppy and haphazard and this is not the image anyone wants to reflect. When looking for chairs to furnish cafeterias and food courts keep in mind the audience you cater to and what furniture is appropriate for this demographic.

If the cafeteria is in a hospital you will want seating that is casual and comfortable since doctors and nurses don’t have much time to relax. When eating on the go you want a chair that is convenient and appropriate and this can usually be accomplished with metal and plastic frames. Also, people who are visiting a loved one in the hospital may be staying for a few hours and will need a place to unwind and eat. Your cafeteria should have upholstered chairs that are lightweight, easy to shift around and durable enough to withstand constant use.

Another thing to keep in mind when catering to a large group of people is to know how often the furniture will be used. Is this a food court that is open 24/7 or is it in a building that operates on a 9-5 schedule? Knowing how busy the cafeteria is will help determine the strength of the chairs you need which will affect the materials you choose. Though hardwood is durable and looks great, the surface can dent and scratch easily when handled often and this is a good reason to consider using metal, chrome or aluminum.

Lastly, give thought to the overall décor of the building the food court is in. You may be in a mall that has many retail shops each with its own theme and it’s hard to match your style with so many different designs. Or you may be in a large hospital that has an existing décor that you can be more in step with. Take note of your surroundings and find cafeteria chairs and tables that will work best in the environment given.

After 5 months in the rehabilitation hospital it was time to take Desiree, my partner, home after a disabling stroke. Over the period of rehabilitation she had become quite adept at scooting around the hospital using one arm and one leg. Now was the time to enter the real world. As her able bodied carer I needed to become proficient at handling the wheel chair. How hard could it be, I thought, after all I could handle the most recalcitrant shopping trolley. This would be a cinch!

After getting Desiree into the front seat of our car, (this took 10 minutes of maneuvering on its own) all I had to do was to fold the wheel chair and place it in the back of the car. No problems? I pushed this way and that, do you think that I could get this contraption to fold, no way. The battle had become personal; it was me against the chair. Desiree kept calling, what are you doing back there. I was not going to let a bunch of aluminium tubes, plastic and spokes get the better of me. Nothing dear, just getting the chair into the car. After a further 5 minutes of wrangling one of the nurses spotted me and came over. There is a trick to this you know, she said. With one swift upward karate chop to the seat, my nemesis yielded and folded flat, the nurse then progressed to flip the chair into the back of our car with little effort. This was the start of my wheel chair handling lessons. Over the next few months I learnt more about wheel chair driving than you would believe. Here is a list of tips and tricks for you wheel chair novices.

To Fold a Wheelchair If handles are provided at each side of the seat, use these to pull upwards. Otherwise fold your chair by holding the midpoint of the seat at the front and back, pull upwards.

To Unfold a Wheelchair Push down on both sides of the seat making sure you keep your fingers clear of the edges of the seat frame in case they get trapped.

To Tilt a Wheelchair Back Always warn the occupant of your intention. Using the tipping lever located on the chair push down and under with your foot. At the same time pull back and down on the handgrips.

To Assist a Person in a Wheelchair Up a curb Face the front of the chair to the curb, tip the chair onto its back wheels, place the castors onto the pavement and then push the wheelchair up onto the pavement.

To Assist a Person in a Wheelchair Down a curb Face the curb, tip the chair on to its back wheels and lower down the curb taking care not to jolt the occupant.

To Push a Wheelchair Down-Hill Travel slowly – and safely – down inclines, in order to maintain control of the wheelchair. If the gradient is very steep it may be advisable to go down backwards to prevent the person in the chair from tipping out.

To Push a Wheelchair Up-Hill Keep the weight of your body forward when pushing the chair up an incline. Keep your back straight, elbows slightly bent.

To assist a person in and out of a wheelchair

Place the chair as close as possible to the side you are transferring to. Try to reduce the distance and angle as much as possible.

Remove the leg rests and brake lever extensions.

Ensure the brakes are securely on before standing up, or transferring.

Remove the armrest on the side you are transferring to.

To Lift a Wheelchair into a Car

Remove armrests, footrests and wheels (if applicable) and place them in the car. This reduces the weight and length of the chair.

Fold wheelchair and engage brakes.

Place folded chair at right angles to the car and stand facing chair.

Grasp fixed section of frame.

Using back care principles lift chair keeping your back straight and knees bent.

Using counter balance technique, lean back until the weight of the chair is balanced with your body.

Pivot on one foot and step around with the other foot to face the car.

Chair can be slid into the car with little effort.

Protect the axles of detachable wheels and avoid damaging the wheelchair when closing the car.

A recent survey has shown that people are not hesitating when they have to donate to blood and are quite eager to perform this noble action. Donating blood can save a person’s life in cases when there is acute shortage of blood. Another possibility might be that you have an extremely rare type of blood. Donating can save the life of a person who has a similar and rare type like you do.

That is the reason for which blood donation camps are sprouting all over the place. You might be the organizer of such a camp or you might even own a nursing home or hospital. It is your duty to make the donor feel at ease so that he can perform this noble action with comfort.

Apart from donating blood, a patient may also come for a blood test. If the facilities available in your establishment are not adequate, your camp or hospital will not be successful. If you don’t provide a good environment for the patients, they will not be coming to your hospital anymore.

It is essential that you provide comfortable blood donor chairs at your establishment. Whether you are organizing a camp or you own a hospital does not matter. What matters is whether you are ensuring the ease and comfort of people. A blood donor chair should have the following features:-

* A comfortable seat.
* Ideally it should have an armrest that is padded, so that the person is able to rest his hand on it.
* Knobs that can be used to adjust the height of the chair.

The one thing that you should keep in mind is the budget. If you need one or two in number, then you don’t need to take the money factor into account. However, if you are ordering in bulk, then you need to contact an establishment that doesn’t cost too much, but at the same time it provides you with quality products.

The chairs come in a variety of colors and you can also order customized ones to fit your requirements. They are one of the best in customer service so you will not regret your decision to make your purchase from a reliable concern like this one.